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Leave it to Gwyneth Paltrow to invent a recipe for gluten-free, cheese-free pancakes and call it “pizza.”

But the Mediterranean flatbreads known as socca, made with chickpea flour, are surprisingly good.

In her latest offering, It’s All Easy, the erstwhile actress has come up with new recipes with co-writer Thea Baumann that are similarly surprising: most involve only a handful of fresh and simple ingredients and are doable for the home cook who doesn’t have a GOOP-y army of assistants on hand.

Patron saint of detoxes, “living damn well” and celebrity cookbooks — as she has been christened by various media — Paltrow has taken heat for her pretensions. Her high-profile divorce brought the phrase “conscious uncoupling” into common usage. A recent smoothie recipe posted on her lifestyle blog included several ingredients that were impossible to pronounce as well as something called “moon dust.”

This cookbook is the opposite of that. It still includes the imagery of an enviable life: soft lighting, picnicking with perfect-looking children, shopping at European markets, not to mention Paltrow’s extensive collection of sweaters and linen aprons. There are a few lesser known ingredients, but you can substitute agave or even — gasp — sugar for stevia if you must. For the most part, the meals are accessible for an average, stressed-out family.

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“Food doesn’t need to be complicated to be good,” Paltrow insists in her introduction.

The book:It’s All Easy, $25 at Indigo.ca, covers breakfasts, light meals, afternoon “pick-me-ups,” quick lunches and suppers for warm and cool seasons, as well as vegan and sugar-free desserts. It’s a follow-up to 2013’s It’s All Good, which was basically a detox diet plan heavy on kale and juicing.

The author: Gwyneth Paltrow, U.S. Oscar-winning actress, founder of lifestyle empire GOOP, subject of critique and envy in equal parts.

The tester: I’m an unabashed Gwyneth Paltrow fan. Paltrow is polarizing: she has crowed about detoxing and the importance of an extreme workout regimen but admitted to the occasional cigarette and tanning without sunscreen. I find that just makes her more relatable. Plus, since I don’t always make time to cook, her “pizza” fits into my routine.

A crispy socca can be cut with a knife and fork, while a softer flatbread can be eaten like a small wrap or taco. They can be made large or small, depending on the pan. Toppings can vary.

Batter:

2 1/2 cups (625 mL) chickpea flour

2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil

2 cups (500 mL) water

Pinch salt

Olive oil for frying

Toppings for Pissaladière Socca:

Olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp (5 mL) fresh thyme leaves

1 garlic clove, diced

1/2 cup (125 mL) cherry tomatoes

1 to 3 anchovies

5 niçoise olives, pitted

Black pepper

Toppings for Za’atar Roasted Carrot and Avocado Socca

4 small carrots, halved lengthwise

Olive oil

Sea salt

Za’atar (Middle Eastern spice blend)

1/2 avocado, sliced lengthwise

2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice of half a lime

For the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, oil, water and salt until no lumps remain. In non-stick pan over medium heat, add oil for frying. Ladle batter into pan to form 2 or 3 round pancakes and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bubbles appear. Flip socca and fry for a minute or so more.

For the Pissaladière Socca: In a medium frying pan, heat oil and add onion, thyme, garlic and sauté until onion is softened. Turn heat to high and add cherry tomatoes and cook until beginning to blister. Transfer onion mixture onto 2 socca pancakes. Add anchovies and olives. Makes 2 servings.

For the Za’atar Roasted Carrot and Avocado Socca: Preheat oven to 400F/205C. On baking pan, drizzle carrots with oil, salt and za’atar to taste. Roast for 20 minutes or until carrots are browned and tender. Transfer mixture onto 2 socca pancakes. Top with avocado slices and cilantro. Sprinkle with sea salt and za’atar if desired. Add a squeeze of lime juice. Makes 2 servings.

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